Alternative Text Description for Florida Brickell-Bush (Endangered)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MAP OVERVIEW

This map displays the habitat range of the Florida Brickell-Bush, an endangered plant species, in southern Florida. The map shows the polygonal boundaries representing the known distribution of this species as documented by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The pink crosshatched area covers a substantial portion of the Miami metropolitan region and surrounding areas, extending from coastal communities to inland areas west of the city.

GEOGRAPHIC CONTEXT

The map centers on the greater Miami area in southeastern Florida, including Miami-Dade County. Major communities visible include Miami, Miami Beach, North Miami, Sunny Isles Beach, Hialeah, Kendall, The Hammocks, and Homestead. The mapped area extends from Dania Beach and Hollywood in the north to areas south of Homestead. The Atlantic Ocean and coastal barrier islands are visible along the eastern edge. Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge and portions of Everglades National Park appear in the southern portion of the map. The Gulf of America lies to the west and south of the mapped region.

KEY INSIGHTS

The Florida Brickell-Bush habitat encompasses a large, continuous area covering most of inland Miami-Dade County. The species range extends across urban, suburban, and natural areas, indicating the plant's historical or current presence throughout the region. Notable concentrations appear in the western portions of the mapped area, covering The Hammocks and areas west of Kendall and Homestead. The habitat boundary notably excludes certain areas, including portions of Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge in the south and some coastal barrier island areas. The extensive coverage suggests this endangered species once occupied or currently occupies a significant portion of the Miami metropolitan landscape.

VISUAL ELEMENTS

Florida Brickell-Bush (Endangered) Habitat Range

This layer represents the documented distribution boundaries for the endangered Florida Brickell-Bush species in southern Florida.

Florida Brickell-Bush Habitat Polygons (pink crosshatch pattern)

Appearance:

The habitat is shown as areas filled with a pink crosshatch or diagonal grid pattern overlaying the base map.

Distribution:

The habitat covers a large, mostly contiguous area throughout Miami-Dade County, spanning from the northern communities near Dania Beach southward past Homestead. The coverage extends from coastal areas near Miami Beach westward across the metropolitan region.

Notable locations:

Major coverage areas include the urbanized portions of Miami, Hialeah, North Miami, Kendall, The Hammocks, and Homestead. The habitat boundary includes both developed urban areas and undeveloped natural areas. Some gaps in coverage appear along the southern coastal areas near Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge.

Spatial patterns:

The habitat forms a broad, unified polygon covering most of the inland portions of the mapped area. The distribution pattern suggests the species occupies or historically occupied lowland areas throughout the region. The western and central portions show the most extensive continuous coverage, while some coastal and far southern areas fall outside the mapped habitat boundaries.

Overlapping Patterns

The Florida Brickell-Bush habitat overlaps extensively with urbanized areas of Miami and surrounding communities, indicating the species exists or has existed within heavily developed landscapes. The habitat also overlaps with natural areas in the western portions of the map, suggesting the species occupies both disturbed and undisturbed environments.

SYMBOL GUIDE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This map displays a filtered view showing only the Florida Brickell-Bush from the larger United States Fish and Wildlife Service species dataset for Florida. The extensive habitat coverage across urbanized areas of Miami-Dade County highlights the conservation challenges facing this endangered species in a rapidly developed region. The mapped boundaries represent the species' understood range and may include areas where the plant historically occurred, currently occurs, or has suitable habitat conditions.

DATA CONTEXT

Data Source:

United States Fish and Wildlife Service polygonal species boundaries dataset for the State of Florida (CR_USFWS_POLY_JUN26). The data represents the Service's understanding of species distribution based on documented occurrences and habitat assessments.

Definition Query:

COMNAME = 'FLORIDA BRICKELL-BUSH'. This filter displays only the habitat boundaries for the Florida Brickell-Bush species, excluding all other species contained in the broader dataset.

Scale Information:

The map shows a regional-scale view appropriate for understanding the overall distribution of the species across Miami-Dade County. Individual plant locations are not shown at this scale; rather, the map displays broader habitat boundary polygons.

Coordinate System:

NAD_1983_HARN_Florida_GDL_Albers (WKID 3087)

Limitations:

The mapped boundaries represent the understood range of the species and may not reflect current on-the-ground conditions in all areas. Urban development, habitat loss, and other environmental changes may have affected the actual presence of the species within the mapped boundaries. The dataset shows broad habitat areas rather than confirmed individual plant locations.

Map Coverage:

The map extent covers approximately Miami-Dade County and portions of southern Broward County in southeastern Florida, from the Atlantic coast westward to the edge of the Everglades, and from Dania Beach in the north to areas south of Homestead.

The alternative text description of this map was AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies.